Mr Harawira will defend himself in court on the charge of illegally parking his car during an Auckland protest he participated in to try and stop people being evicted from state housing in October last year.

“I can get away with things in court that a lawyer can’t,” said Mr Harawira.

Mr Harawira told Tuesday’s meeting it is not only the homeless that need media attention, because the increasing cost of living in New Zealand is affecting more and more people.

“Homelessness applies to everybody.

“We are focusing on the pani and rawakore, the dispossessed and impoverished people of New Zealand,” said Mr Harawira about Mana’s overall objectives.

He said Mana plans to do this by making the problems facing this group simple for the general population to understand.

He was surprised at how empty the trolley is after spending $200 on the weekly shopping at Pak ‘n’ Save.

Patrick Cunningham, who attended the hui, shared a similar sentiment to Mr Harawira.

“Our people need help,” said Mr Cunningham, who had traditionally voted Labour.

Mr Cunningham said his reason for attending the event was to see if Mr Harawira could persuade him to vote for Mana.

Mr Harawira also talked about his Feed the Kids Bill, which will see every child in decile one and two schools have a proper breakfast and lunch every day.

If the bill gets through, the burden will not be on the teachers to feed the kids, but people will be hired to make the breakfasts and lunches, he said.

The hui was hosted by Ariana Paretutanganui-Tamati, chair of Newtown Mana Movement.

She felt that the hui was “quite successful” and the 20 people who attended was a good turnout.